Anthnfection spreading shield



30, 9 E. R. BENSON 2,623,523

ANTIINFECTION SPREADING SHIELD Filed July 10, 1948 3nventor Gttornegg Patented Dec. 30, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 3 Claims.

The present invention relates broadly to medicament dispensers having antiinfection spreading means in combination therewith.

The primary purpose of this invention is the provision of anti-infection shields or guards in combination with medicament dispensers such as, for example, a glass nose dropper or the like, to prevent the dispenser-from coming into direct contact with the infected organ or area of the person being treated.

Another important object of the invention is the provision of an anti-infection shield in combination with a medicament dispenser in which the shield may be formed of an expendable material adapted to be used only a single time and then discarded whereby to prevent th carrying of infection fromone person to another.

A further important object of the invention is the provision of an anti-infection shield in combination with a medicament dispenser in which the sield is of simple, inexpensive construction, which can b effectively used in an easy, convenient manner and which can be employed in connection with various types of said medicament dispensers.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become more apparent during the course of the following description, when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings, wherein like numerals are employed to" designate like parts throughout the same:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing one type of anti-infection shield in combination with a conventional glass nose dropper in accordance i with this invention;

Fig. 2 is a transverse section through the shield showing its relation to the nose dropper;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view showing the shield in folded or collapsed condition to facilitate packing;

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a slightly modified form of shield;

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a different type of shield;

Fig. 6 is a perspective view showing another type of shield in combination with a glass nose dropper; and

Fig. '7 is a perspective view showing a still further type of shield.

Heretofore, in the use of medicine dispensers such as, for example, the conventional glass nose dropper, the dispenser, when being used, often comes into direct contact with the infected organ such as the nose, ear, etc., with the result that germs or infection tend'to collect on the dropper when such contact is made. When the dropper is subsequently used by another person, these germs or infection may be passed on tothat person. Even though the person using the dropperis careful not to contact the infected part, this is not always possibl and in any event no positive means is provided to definitely prevent contact of the dropper with the person being treated.

It is the aim of this invention to eliminate the above danger of infection being carried from one person to another'by the provision of a shield, guard, or the like in combination with the dispenser; which will prevent direct contact between the dispenser and the person being treated. Thus, the spread of infection, congestion, etc. through the use of glass tubes, droppers, applicators, etc; which are used in nostrils, ears, and other openings of the body, whether natural or surgical, can be effectively averted.

With reference to the drawings and particularly to Figs. 1 t0 3, there is disclosed one type of shield or guard which may be employed. This shield is designated in its entirety by the numeral Ill and by way of illustration is shown in combination with a conventional type of glass nose dropper comprising a cylindrical hollow body II formed at one end with a reduced discharge nozzle portion [2 and provided at its other end with the usual elastic, compressible bulb l3.

As illustrated, the shield or guard in is substantially funnel or cone shapedhaving a continuous side wall I4, tapering from a relatively wide opening l5 at its upper end to a relatively smaller opening H5 at its lower end. Preferably, there is formed integral with the side wall l4, adjacent the upper end thereof, a tab I! to facilitate handling of the shield.

In practice,.the personusing the shield. ID will hold it, by means of the tab IT, in proper position with respect to the organ or area to be treated and will dispense the medicament through the shield to the infected organ or area. Thus, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the smaller end of the shield may be inserted slightly within or held closely adjacent the nostril, ear, or other opening 18 and while so held the dispenser is positioned with its discharge nozzle inside the shield and preferably close to the lower end thereof. The medicine is then discharged from the outlet nozzle of the dispenser and caused to pass through the opening in the shield to the part to be treated.

With such an arrangement, it will be clearly evident, particularly from Fig. 2, that the dispenser is effectively shielded and prevented from contacting directly with the person being treated so that the chance of germs or infection bein picked up by the lower end of the dropper and transferred to someone else is prevented.

The discharge opening 16 in the shield should be somewhat smaller than the outlet nozzle I2 of the nose dropper so that the lower end of the dropper cannot pass therethrough and come into direct contact with the person being treated.

One of the principal features of this invention is the making of the shield or guard ii) of an expendable material so that individual shields would be used in treating each person or patient and after the shield had been used once, it would be disposed of. By using a fresh shield with the dispenser each time it is employed, there will be little or no danger of the dispenser picking up germs or infection to be passed to the next person using the dispenser. The shields could be made of paper, plastic, or some other expend-able material. The paper or thin plastic shields could be packed and sold with patent nose drops, inhalers, etc., although they could be sold separately. If desired, and to facilitate packing, the shields can be folded or collapsed as illustrated in Fig. 3.

By using the shields for individual applica-. tions, infection will not be spread from person to person, one child to another, or one member of a family to another, and the use will prevent infection, bacteria, or any foreign agent being carried back into the bottle, jar, or whatever container is used for the medicament. The edges of the shield could be crimped, glued, molded, or joined in any fashion, and the size of the shield would be variable according to its use.

In Fig. 4 is shown a shield similar to that of Figs. 1 and 2, with the exception that the handle or tab l I has been eliminated.

While it is preferred that the shields are expendable, being used for only a single application, particularly in homes and offices, it may be desirable in some instances, such as in hospitals, to make the shields of glass or other sterilizable material as indicated in Fig. 5, wherein a substantially rigid handle is provided. In such case, the same advantages would result providing the shield was properly sterilized after each use.,

The modified form of shield 19 illustrated in Fig. 6 partakes of a tubular formation of flutes or pleated material. Preferably, the material, as paper, is crimped to produce the pleated appearance and then may be joined along edge portions to assume the tubular form. The substantially annular character will readily admit the tapered end l2 of the dropper Ii and a minor length of the shield will actively grip the dropper, While a major length of the shield will surround the same in spaced relation thereto as the inner points of the pleats 21 are moved over the surf-ace of said dropper. Due to the elasticity of the pleats and their tendency to close toward one another,

the shield will progressively open throughout the pleated portions, increasing its elastic engagement with the dropper as the pleats are further separated. The tapered effect imposed upon the shield by such enlargement at one end will not expand the outer end, the tendency being rather to urge the pleats into closer relation and affording a small tube for introduction into the affected area.

In Fig. 7 is shown a still further type of shield 22 consisting essentially of a cylindrical tube or sleeve 23 of paper or thin plastic material which is slipped over the tapered end l2 of the dropper H and frictionally held on said dropper by a minor length of said shield while surrounding the tapered end thereof in spaced relation thereto.

It is to be understood that the forms of the invention herewith shown and described are to be taken as the preferred embodiments of the same, and that various changes in the shape, size and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the subjoined claims.

I claim:

1. In combination with a medicament dispenser having a. hollow body and a tapered discharge nozzle portion, a tubular anti-infection spreading shield having a minor length which frictionally engages said dispenser body and a major length which surrounds said discharge nozzle portion in spaced relation thereto, said nozzle portion extending through said shield to a point substantially adjacent the lower end thereof.

2. The combination of a medicament dispenser and anti-infection spreading shield of the character defined in claim 1, in which said shield is formed of paper which can be folded.

3. The combination of a medicament dispenser and anti-infection spreading shield of the character defined in claim 1, in which said shield is provided with expandable pleats disposed longitudinally of said dispenser body.

EVELYN R. BENSON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 570,821 Senat Nov. 3, 1896 1,053,272 Brady Feb. 18, 1913 1,155,584 La Grange Oct. 5, 1915 1,698,340 MacAuley Jan. 8, 1929 2,100,888 Vine Nov. 30, 1937 2,115,959 Lewis May 3, 1938 2,358,159 Gruetter Sept. 12, 1944 2,507,843 Wheeler May 16, 1950 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 697,121 France Jan. 12, 1931 

